Peggysous Collection

First Date Jitters

This one is the result of a prompt asking for Peggy Carter and Daniel Sousa's first date. So here you go!!

~

Daniel was feeling extremely uncomfortable. He shifted his weight nervously and adjusted his grip on his crutch, trying to ignore the women giving him curious glances. Darn it all, what was taking her so long? He was startled out of his thoughts by a very loud "ahem". He turned to see a matronly older woman eying him suspiciously. "Are you waiting for someone in particular or are you just here to stare at all the young ladies here?" she asked in an accusatory tone, all the while glaring daggers at him.

"Yes, I mean no - I mean, yes I am waiting for someone, no I am not here to stare, ma'am," Daniel stuttered out, feeling the heat rise to his cheeks with each new word.

"Hmmm... And who are you waiting for, Mr. - "

"Sousa. Daniel Sousa. And I'm waiting for Peg - er, Miss Carter. She should be down any minute."

As if in response to his words, Peggy appeared on the landing looking like an angel. As usual, Daniel thought happily to himself. She smiled when she saw him, then grimaced when she noticed the woman haggling him. She made her way quickly down the stairs toward them, calling as she approached, "Ah, Agent Sousa! Thank you so much for agreeing to meet me today." Daniel saw the look of satisfaction in Peggy's eyes when the women started at the word "agent". It was a good look on her, he couldn't help but think.

"Miss Carter, why on earth are you meeting with an agent?" the women asked incredulously, staring at Daniel with even more suspicion now than before.

"Oh, Agent Sousa is an agent with the Women's Rights Association. I was looking to file some sort of complaint on my co-workers at the phone company about their treatment of me, and the organization sent Mr. Sousa here to help me file it correctly. It's nothing to worry about, Mrs. Fry, I assure you," Peggy responded casually. Daniel couldn't help but stare at her in awe, impressed with how quickly she came up with the story, but still not exactly sure why she was even bothering with a cover story in the first place.

Mrs. Fry, as she was evidently called, hesitated for a second before cautiously replying, "Very well, Miss Carter. Why you don't just quit and find a new job, I honestly don't know." She turned on her heel and stalked off, muttering under her breath as she went. Daniel made out the words "English" and "insane", and couldn't keep himself from chuckling quietly at just how accurate the words were.

Peggy breathed a sigh of relief as they made their way out of the Griffith. "Whew, that was a close one," she laughed wryly.

"I'm sorry, Peggy, but I have to say I'm a little confused here. Why did you make up that ridiculous story and what on earth is the Women's Rights Association? Is there even such a thing?" Daniel was honestly at a loss as to a reason for Peggy's actions. Granted, it had been an awkward situation and he was grateful for her timely arrival, but he didn't understand the need for the lie.

Peggy laughed at his bewildered face and answered, "I suppose there could be such an organization but not that I know of. And trust me, if I had told her that you were there to take me out for lunch, she would have chased you from the hotel with a ladle! Miriam Fry disapproves of 'shenanigans', as she would call such things. Speaking of which," she continued in an almost innocent tone, "aren't you supposed to be taking me out on one of these alleged 'shenanigans'?" Daniel felt the heat rise to his face yet again at her words. He opened his mouth to respond, but his brain wouldn't seem to work.

Peggy, seeing his present state, laughed gently and rested her hand on his shoulder for a second. "I'm just teasing you, Daniel," she said with a gentle smile. "But it is our first date, after all." Daniel whipped his head around to stare at her.

"You really think this is a date?" he asked uncertainly. Of course, he considered it one, but he wasn't sure how Peggy viewed it. For all he knew she could think of it as simply a friendly gesture between colleagues. But Peggy allayed his worries with a sweet smile.

"Well of course. It is a date when the two people going out together like each other, isn't it?", she said softly. Daniel's heart nearly stopped at her words. She said she likes me, she said she likes me, his mind kept repeating over and over again.

He quickly regained his composure and said, "Yes. It definitely is. Well, come on, then, I know a great place just down the street." She took his arm and the two made their way down the street, laughing and talking as they went.

Later that night, Daniel lay in his bed and thought about the events of the day. Peggy had been a vision of charm the entire time, laughing and teasing him gently. He couldn't remember the last time he'd ever felt so happy with anyone. He had sighed bitterly when she told him she needed to be heading back. She had smiled at him softly and told him, "Oh, there's no need to do that, Daniel. We'll just have to do this again sometime, yes?" Daniel's heart started racing as he remembered those words, and he reached up to touch his cheek. He swore he could still feel a slight tingle there, where she had gently kissed him goodbye. The blood rushed to his face now as he recalled the way that kiss had felt. He knew then that from that moment on, he wanted nothing so badly as to feel that kiss again. And he was determined to never let anyone else feel that woman's lips so long as Daniel Sousa was alive. He told himself then that he wouldn't stop until she was his. And after today, he didn't feel like that would be such an impossible thing.